Angelo Palmones is an
average if not a mediocre broadcaster and a former Agham Partylist congressman,
he did not know economics as based on my recent squabbles with him
at Facebook.

His ignorance was
exacerbated by his gall to call me “stupid” after I wrote last week on my blog
cum column that North Cotabato is one of the poorest provinces in the
Philippines.

Excerpts:

ANGELO
PALMONES: Whoever invited this stupid blogger is insulting the people of
North Cotabato. He tossed up his sponsors with flowery piece by pulling down
the efforts of all people of NCot. Better research will guide you boy on how
many products of my beloved province are now sold abroad. Violence is more
prevalent in Metro Manila, check your stat before making generalization. North
Cotabato is not M’lang!"

(When
a common friend at Facebook Luvin Candari, an Ilonggo, tagged me on Angelo’s
attack, here was my answer)

MARK
MACHEVELLI ORTIGOZA (MY OTHER NAME AT FB): Sabton ta na’ kung sino
mas stupid sa amon ni Angelo (I’m going to rebut him and show who is stupid
between me and Angelo) . The son of a gun was shooting from the hips. I only
need to cite a NEDA report in my column. Luvin Candari is smarter than this
congressional has- been. Im going to school him he he he.

PALMONES: That
NEDA report has been disputed. The most recent and relevant basis of North
Cotabato’s standing, including some of the well-performing towns and Kidapawan
City, is DILG’s SEAL OF GOOD GOVERNANCE. You can Google it for better
understanding.

ORTIGOZA: My
arguments will be anchored on the number of poor Filipinos to buttress my
argument that your province is one of the Top 10 Poorest Provinces in the
Phillippines. SEAL is primordially on management level. I will talk in my
column about economic threshold in peso term as based on the data of the
Philippines Statistics Authority, National Anti- Poverty Commission, and NEDA.

PALMONES: Good
luck for that piece. I hope it will improve rustic Mlang.

My argument on my blog
that got the goat of Palmones was not new to me since I used, for example the
Annual Per Capita Poverty Threshold (APCPT) on my radio and newspaper
commentaries in Luzon whenever I compared the provincial and municipal local
government units in the northern part of the country.

Now let’s go to the
jugular.

You readers
decide whom between me and Angelo is stupid after I cite and explain here why
North Cotabato Province is the seventh (7) province with more
poorest families in the Philippines according to the Public Statistics
Authority (PSA) in 2015. The next survey results of the PSA will be in 2019.

Here’s table:

As what the table above
illustrates North Cotabato is No. 7 with the most number of households,
composed by five members each, classified as poor. Cebu Province was No. 1 due
to its 2.93 million (exclude its three highly urbanized cities) biggest population
outside Metro Manila. It's ironic that the almost one million populated Cebu
City burgeoned while its province deteriorated.

PASAY CITY – A
representative of the deadliest and fastest medium sized supersonic cruise
missile in the world market today was optimistic that his company and the Armed
Forces of the Philippines will have a rapport after India failed to
sell her cheapest priced frigates to the Philippines. Colonel JP Uniyal,
Director of Business Development & Product Support, told this writer that
Brahmos Weapon System, a Russian-Indian’s consortium, sells cruise missile from
land to sea, ship to land, land to land, and land to ship.

Cruise missile,
according to Collins Dictionary, is a long range, jet propelled winged missile
that can be launched from an airplane, submarine, ship, others, and guided to a
target by a remote control.

The brochure given
to this writer showed Brahmos’ missiles can be launched from a jet
fighter to hit an enemy’s ship and troop on the sea and the ground.

“I am not aware what happened earlier. But now we are in good coordination with
the authorities. Hopefully now we will be able to cooperate with the
Philippines especially the Brahmos Weapon System is concerned whether it is for
ships or for the land,” Pathak
stressed.

For the airforce, it
has the same features with that of the navy but it has only a lesser weight of
2,550 kilograms.

Brahmos missile
replaced by multiple times the most popular subsonic missiles in the world.

It has 3 times in velocity,
2.5 to 3 times in flight range, 3 to 4 times in seeker range, and 9
times in kill energy.

According to Wikipidea,
one Brahmos cruise missile cost U.S $2.6 million or P109 million.

Earlier, Gripen Vice President for Communication Robert Hewson told this
writer that the Sweden based multiple role fighter (MRF) jet manufacturer said
it has been a cut above the rest of the fourth generation rivals because of its
RBS15 anti ship guided smart missile.

“What you’re looking is
the Saab missile known as RBS15. This is one of the things that really set
apart the Gripen with its competitors. In fact, almost no other modern fighter
has a modern anti ship missile integrated. None of them have a weapon attached.
The latest version of this missile which we unveiled in theFarnborough Airshow”.

The
distinctive RBS15 missile that even the United States made F-16 Viper lacks is
a game changer.

The
Maryland, USA made Viper is the closest rival of the Gripen in the more than
sixty billion pesos procurement of the Philippines for a multi-role fighter
(MRF) combat jet.

The smaller than
Brahmos cruise missile’s RBS-15 (Robot System 15) is a long-range
fire-and-forget surface-to-surface and air-to-surface, anti-ship missile. The
later version Mk. III has the ability to attack land targets as well.
The missile was developed by the Swedish company Saab Bofors Dynamics
(Wikipidea).

According to Uniyal ,
the brand name BrahMos is "coined from
Brahmaputra River of India and Moskva River of Russia”.

From
chasing hardened Moro commanders in Mindanao and Basilan, this battle
experienced military and police officer went back to his alma mater the
Philippine Military Academy to mentor the cadets of what he learned in the
skirmishes and warfare at the battle fronts.

Congressman Leopoldo Bataoil, chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, rendered his snappiest salute to an old war veteran during a war anniversary.

He
said as a Constabulary Ranger he idolized his commanders at the First and
Second Ranger Battalions who even joined him and his men in the battle fields
against the fiery Moro insurgents in the two islands in the Southern
Philippines.

Bataoil
was a trained member of the British inspired commando’s the elite Special
Action Force.

“There
were really true leaders and they were really very inspiring leaders na ang
feeling namin they are the best example of. I remember General
Dictador Alquiza my First Battalion's commander . I remember
Agerico Cagaoan my Second Battalion's commander in another
battalion. They were really leaders na very inspiring na they talk to you the
very critical area iyong mga battle area. They will die for you. Ang iyong
feeling namin he will die for our country and people all together we
will die for our country and people”.

He
cited one officer’s conspicuous bravery and extraordinary courage awed him.
Glyxe Sua, Bataoil recounted, even asked his men to locate the sniper concealed
behind the coconuts and the tree’s leaves above sniping them.